[Relationship between the skin test and the specific IgE (radio-allergo-sorbens test) in the diagnosis of inhalative allergies].

Immediate-type reactions such as asthma, pollinosis and several forms of urticaria can be regarded as type I reactions according to Coombs and Gell. Primary these diseases are caused by the immune globulin E. As skin testing is accompanied by numerous failors, there is a real possibility in increasing the diagnostic relevance by measurement of the specific IgE in serum (Radio-Allergo-Sorbens-Test = RAST; Phadebas-RAST -- Pharmacia Uppsala). There are often found divergent results and therefore this investigation was started. 1357 RAST-results (530 patients) were compared with skin tests in order to investigate the concordance of the two test-methods. The statistical analysis is performed wit "4-square-Chi2". Very good correspondence could be calculated for the pollens of Festuca elatior, Poa pratensis, horse-epithelium and housedustmite (1 0/00O significancy). 1 0/0 significancy was found for catepithelium and 5 0/0 for Birch-pollen. The advantages and the disadventages of RAST are discussed.